User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
3.5 StarsI loathe the dead ex trope...
loathe it...
...unless it's written by Nicole Jacquelyn or Aly Martinez. And then I'm willing to die on the proverbial Dead Ex Hill. With funeral bells on.
And this book not only had the dead ex thing going on...it had it twice over.
But it was fine. Because, like I said...Aly Martinez.
Anyway, things were going well and I was liking the couple well enough...I
did feel like I was being told their story instead of shown it at times...and I feel like some things were little rushed....but I still thought their connection was decent. And the kids and their relationship with the kids was adorable.
But then the last part of the book happened...
And I felt like we were in a bad episode of
General Hospital.
It suddenly felt like a completely different book that was a little too fantastical. I would have liked it more had it stayed...grounded. But oh well. It was a decent read and I enjoyed it well enough.
Rating: really liked it
a friends review compared this to CoHos
‘regretting you,’ and after knowing that, i couldnt stop seeing the plot comparisons.
not that thats a bad thing, especially if you enjoyed
‘regretting you,’ which i did. but the characters in this are entirely their own, so it was interesting to see a very similar plot played out with completely different characters. especially eason - he totally stole the show. i think the single dad trope is really growing on me.
my biggest issue was with the ‘twist.’ not the fact that there is a twist, but because it doesnt fit the tone or feel of the story. its as if its only included because of the lack of overall tension and the story needed some sort of opposition. so random suspense just for the sake of suspense doesnt really work for me.
but still, this is a cute story with a good message.
↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
glad to know i’m still a fan of aly martinez romances.
like always, there’s a heavy emphasis on the emotions and on absolutely ridiculous plot twists. and somehow it kinda works every time.
the comparisons to colleen hoover’s regretting you are pretty inevitable but the stylistic differences are so large imo that they’re far from being the same book. if the twist in regretting you felt unsatisfying, i think you might prefer the execution of that same twist in this book.
only thing i think could have used a bit of improvement is the show not tell aspect. given the set up of the story, time jumps were necessary but i would have liked to SEE gradual progression from grief to love.
Rating: really liked it
4 stars 
“I’m terrified that, if we keep screaming into the past, the future is going to be nothing but an echo.”
I'll be honest, this is the kind of book that a lot of times is too much for me. Too many twists, too much drama, and a troupe I don't love, but it's Aly Martinez so you know I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did. I love everything Aly writes and this was no exception. It had loads of angst, emotion, and some suspense.
Jessica and Eason are married and best friends with another married couple, Bree and Rob. They're getting together for a couples date when their entire world is changed. Two of the friends make it out of a house fire, the other two don't. Eason and Bree both must learn to live without their spouse and raise their children as single parents.
Bree and Eason have never particularly got along, but since Eason and Rob were best friends, and Jessica and Bree were best friends, they tolerated each other. Now that they're helping one another and trying to raise their children with as much normalcy as possible, they start to see different sides of one another.
I was a little worried I wouldn't love the romance aspect of this book, but I truly loved Bree and Eason together. This could have potentially been a five star read for me, but man... the hits kept coming. Like, my stomach dropped when I saw the first twist unravel... then, when the next turn came. It was a bit much for me. Even so, I truly adored a lot of this story. I loved the romance, the bonds the children developed and how it all ended.
Our bond might have been forged through tragedy, but our love flourished through patience, genuine respect, and understanding.
Rating: really liked it
'FROM THE EMBERS' Is an emotional standalone, contemporary romance novel by Aly Martinez. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'
‘𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.’
This book surrounds a set of friends, (Jessica is married to Eason, Bree is married to Rob) in an instant it all changes when an inferno tragically kills a husband and wife of the significant others which survived this tragedy, the game of what IF starts causing havoc on Eason's conscience.
Our two survivors, Jessica and Eason are left floundering in their wake of devastation and heartbreak, desolate, and inconsolable as they deal with the aftermath of saying goodbye to their significant other.
This book packs a hard punch from the emotional journey these two go on to the jaw dropping twists this author spins, twists you never see coming..
Since it was Eason's house which burned to the ground Jessica offers up her pool house knowing that her deceased husband would approve.
Through the ups and downs of co parenting and running a business and a household all those butterfly feels came out to play as Eason stole the show. Being in such close quarters these two do grow close as they lean on each other, as they develop more than friendship for the other. It wasn't insta, but they instantly stole my heart.
This was so beautifully written, from the very first chapter I was hooked, the very last page I had tears in my eyes and a heart full to bursting. This author excels when it comes to the angsty, emotional, heart gripping stories and this one is no different.
Rating: really liked it
2,5 😳🤔⭐️s
There were three things that I loved in this book.
The cover, the hero - Eason and the three kids!
I had reached 30% of the story and I wasn’t excited with it. So, I was wondering if I should keep reading or not, but then I remembered the high average rating and kept reading, waiting for the captivating pick up.
The author portrayed the heroine - Bree in such a way, that to me she was not likeable at all. However, I was very curious of how the author would bring the heroine around and redeem her before my eyes! (note: until the end of the story I couldn’t be warmed to her, regardless of how nice she turned out to be...😔)
Also, as much as the author tried, I couldn’t find Eason and Bree compatible.
Eason was a fantastic figure, wonderful, goodhearted and so devoted!! I was thrilled his dreams came true and succeeded in the music industry!
The story had two huge twists. (no spoilers 😉)
I didn’t see the first coming and I was really shocked!!! I never expected it!!! Brilliant!!!
After a lot of chapters, the second twist happened. And brilliant was no more!!!
I just couldn’t believe what I was reading!!! Apart from extremely predictable, I found it also shallow and so stereotypical! If I hadn’t read previous books by this author, I would have thought From the Embers was her debut novel and might have excused this twist!
This was undoubtedly Writing Angsty Twists 101!!!!
There was nothing to be impressed with! If this was something to come across or create great angst, it was poorly delivered.
I am sorry to say that I expected more... 😔😔😔
Rating: really liked it
Utterly moving story that shall shatter your hearts with a wrecking ball. An emotional volcano explodes in the lives of two couples and the physical debris left behind is the crux of the fabulous story. Aly is adept at making you weep for the broken characters she creates. each is flawed, down on its luck, struggling to cope with insecurities.
“I'm so Mad,”
“Bitter. Terrified. Heartbroken. Lost. Confused.” 
Take these two couples - Rob & Bree are best friends and neighbours of Eason & Jessica maxwell. Their kids play together,while adults socialise. Their lives seemingly picture perfect at first glance.
A horrible accident ruins their lives and from its ruination emerges the true personalities of each & every character present.
"I remembered the panic and confusion. The anger and resentment. The absolute frustration that the world kept spinning and it was all I could do to hold on." 
Eason instantly became my favorite. A down on his luck, aspiring musician & songwriter, he swallow his pride and ambitions to keep peace with his family. Left with the only thing that matters to him now, he stumbles to his feet and helps Bree who's limping with grief herself.
It's blind leading blind kinda story from then on. They're both devastated, heartbroken, terrified of the future, sad and angry,. Only no one is left to take their anger out at, so it smoulders like Embers in the ash.
"I’d once read in a book that there is no true timeline for grief. It was always one step forward, two weeks wallowing and cussing the universe back. But, with time, the good days had begun to out weigh the bad." I felt lost and bitter for them. As they take hurting steps towards some kind of normalcy, Aly pours salt on their wounds and the howl that left Bree and Eason tears up the sky.
It's painful, but hope is just on the horizon. It's tragic, but smiles filter through the darkness in Ashley, Madison and Lunas faces. It seems all is lost in ashes, but Phoenix rises and how!.
Poignant to the point of acute pain, a story about love lost with no closure, be prepared to cry in frustration all through.
4.5 stars for Red M&Ms Follow me on:
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Rating: really liked it
2.5 starsthis is “Regretting You” but without the mother-daughter drama because the focus is on the adults. Eason-Bree (MCs of this book) are basically Jonah-Morgan (from “Regretting You”), only their story is inifitely more twisty, tragic, and dramatic at the hands of author AM, which i wouldnt have thought possible because those three adjectives were how i’d associate CoHo with too.
just to be clear, i didnt give it a low rating because of the comparison or similarity but because i didnt like how the romance between the MCs came together in this book. although, thats almost the same thing as the
to-may-to or
to-mah-to debacle seeing as i
hated “Regretting You” for pretty much the same reasons (besides the toxic mother/daughter relationship being my main one).
Rating: really liked it
first of all, you click that spoiler link think again because I will spoil the shit out of this book so If you think about reading this do NOT read further...
last chance...
okay...
now, I rarely read blurbs especially from authors that I love..like why bother well I might HAVE to change that because then I wouldn't have a book with one of my least favorite tropes as a challenge pick book and that is the only reason why I didn't DNF this book..because I was tempted!!!
dead ex is the trope I really really really dislike...
okay, I think you get it... moving on...
Hero Eason is married to Jessica, and they have a daughter. These two are not in a very happy marriage. On the other side, we have our heroine Bree, she is married to Rob and they have two kids. Eason considers Rob his brother and Bree and Jessica as best friends and neighbors. One day there is a house explosion in which Jessica and Rob die. So naturally, Eason moves in with Bree and her kids. A year pass and they start falling for each other.
Now at the beginning, we are supposed to like Eason because he is presented as this great guy. Especially as Jessica is treating him awfully so we root for him. However, Bree wasn't likable at all. And for me, she stayed that way until the end of the book. I just couldn't transition my feeling as the story progressed..I couldn't care for her. Same with their romance. Sure, I dislike the dead ex trope, duh.. but I am not sold on their love. It is all so very convenient!!!
Speaking of convenient it turns out Bree's marriage wasn't a love match either. Even though at the beginning they are presented as an amazing couple. So Rob and Jessica had an affair. There was even the possibility of her daughter being his. They planned the explosion and wanted to kill Eason and Bree, but the plan didn't work in the end.
So to tie this convenience with Eason and Bree's love match is both of their first marriages suck so lest's move on together.
There is also a twist towards the end where Rob is not actually dead and he kidnaps Easton's daughter. Everything works out and we get a happy end obviously. By that time I was already over it and sadly, this wasn't a book for me.
If you read this for a drama and shock factor - this could be a winner..
but as a romance is just a fail..
my rating is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and lack of emotional connection to the story...
1,5 ⭐
Rating: really liked it
“There you are,” she said breathlessly. It had been a long time, but it had never—ever—felt like that.
“I’m right here,” Wow, just wow. I’m pretty speechless after reading this one. Aly Martinez is just amazing, one of the best storytellers there is, period. I don’t know how she does it, but she gets me every. single. time! When I think I have it figured out, she throws me for a loop, and she does it so seamlessly, I just never see it coming!
Bree and Eason (not Easton, lol) are both pretty incredible. I loved them from the get go. They’re married to each other’s best friends, although their relationship was never the best. When tragedy strikes and they loose their spouses, they only have each other to go on and so they form a united front for the kids even though they’re totally devastated and grieving. They form the best of friendships and that eventually turns into love. However, since this is an Aly Martinez book, nothing is really what it seems and there are secrets that are uncovered and twists and turns I didn’t see coming, even though I always like to think I have all figured out.
I loved everything and totally grieved with both Eason and Bree, for their loss and the devastating truths that were uncovered. I also loved that their love developed over time and that they didn’t just jumped each other the first chance they got. I loved Eason so much, that man was just all sorts of special. And Bree, she was amazing. Such great characters and character development. And the kids! They were precious!
Overall, this book is Aly Martinez’ signature brand of awesome and I loved every second of it. Definitely my favorite book of 2021 by far! Very few authors get to me like she does, and I just can’t wait to read what she’ll come up with next!
Was it too soon? By most people’s standards, probably. But not for me. I’d found her. The one. There were no nerves or fears. No second-guessing or cold feet. I knew down to the marrow of my bones that Bree had been born to be mine. Our bond might have been forged through tragedy, but our love flourished through patience, genuine respect, and understanding.
Rating: really liked it
There are some stories that take you to a place where you never thought that you would go. Some stories make you their prisoner and hold you in such a tight grip that as much as you're begging to be set free, you really don't want to let go. The characters leave their mark on you in such a way that by simply turning the pages, you develop this ache in your chest. Why is that? Why do the good stories hurt so bad sometimes? We've woven that ache all around us and immersed into the unknown of a story teller that's going to make or break us for a few hours.
There are some stories that will take you to a place where you never thought that you would go…… this was THAT story.
"Our bond might have been forged through tragedy, but our love flourished through patience, genuine respect, and understanding". Eason Maxwell and Bree Winters are now a part of this painful tragic club. One fateful night not only destroyed two couples, but it cemented a grief that would take a long time to heal from. With nothing but determination and a new found bond between them, Eason and Bree decide to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to move forward. But their journey toward a sense of normalcy was not easy at times and with trial and error, they finally got to a place of calm and steadiness. Or so they thought.
I have been trying to figure out how this author manages to drain the emotions out of her readers sometimes and I still don't know how she does it!! This book will take you on a heart wrenching, painful, tearful, and joyous emotional journey that will have you rooting for these characters and their much deserved happily ever after.
Rating: really liked it
✖
ᴅɴғ ᴀᴛ ~ ғɪғᴛʏ⋆ғɪᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴇɴᴛ ✖
I saved the wrong woman. I left the mother of my child in a burning building. My final broken promise to the woman I’d vowed forever to was, ❝I’ll be right back.❞
sᴏɴɢ ʀᴇᴄ ♫ - Burning Down the House (TALKING HEADS)✨(◕▿◕✿)
ミ✘ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ✔彡Well I guess it's official,
Aly Martinez is now firmly in my mental "hit-or-miss" author file folder. It's funny because I literally just read
Reclaim and freaking
loved it. Seriously, that book dead-ass caused me create a shrine to all men named Cam.
this be me anytime i even think about Cam&Cam
Long story short, I went into
From the Embers with sky-high expectations. Not only was the cover
gorgeous, seriously look at that cover, but the tropes at play sounded *chef's kiss*
amazing. I am such a sucker for grieving angsty widows finding love with each other. I was really in the
mood for that you know? Unfortunately, the signature ALY MARTINEZ twist happened and. . . yeah,
i wasn't a fan. IMO, the twist really took the wind out of FROM THE EMBERS sails, and it essentially sapped away any of the tension//angst that was at play. *sighs*
ミ✘ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ + ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴅ ✔彡-ˏˋ ✔ [𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 ⋆ 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 ⋆ 𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓼𝓽] ✔ ˊˎ-
not gonna lie, the main reason i picked up FROM THE EMBERS was because of that angsty as hell synopsis. i mean COME ON how great does this sound -
In the aftermath of tragedy, it’s strange the things you remember.
The deafening boom as the house exploded.
The paralyzing fear as I searched for my wife.
The blinding smoke burning my eyes as I carried her out.
But carved into my soul for the rest of my days would be the earth-shattering realization that the woman in my arms wasn’t my wife.
hint, it sounds FUCKING AMAZING. the angst people, all the angst. and honestly that scene was heart wrenching. not only was the mini-twist really well done, but the whole "dress thing" really put a whole new meaning on BFFs swapping clothes. there was high potential for drama, angst, grief, and self-loathing. see, not only did Eason save Bree instead of his wife, but Jennifer (or Jessica???) was Bree's best friend. likewise, Robert was Eason's childhood best friend. can't you guys just smell the heartbreak from here?? i loved the set-up of having Eason and Bree basically become a pseudo couple and deciding to raise their kids together. watching Eason and Bree prop each other up during their grief was one of the best aspects of the book. i just wish it had stayed that way. . .
-ˏˋ ✔ [𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 ⋆ 𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓪𝓷𝓼] ✔ ˊˎ-
hands down the best part of FROM THE EMBERS was all the family stuff happening. now as a reader my opinions on family shenanigans has greatly ebbed and flowed. when i first started reading romance i was what. . . oh dear lord - 10?!?! yeah, so, i was pretty young, thus, i had no real interest in reading about adults taking care of kids. as i've gotten older that sentiment has remained somewhat consistent. honestly, it really depends on the kid(s). i cannot stand when authors write these "wise-beyond-their-years-30something-year-old-5-year olds." i just can't. however, when it hits just right the family stuff will stab me right in the feels. here, . . . yeah, i got a bit choked up and "awwwhhhhed" a bunch.
i mean this whole scene -
❝Uncle Eason wears crop tops when he misses Aunt Jessica.❞
Her eyebrows shot up her forehead as she turned a suspicious gaze on me. I quickly waved him off.
❝No. We were kidding. It was a whole story. You had to be there.❞
was both hilarious and tear jerking. ALY MARTINEZ has been consistently great at writing kids into her stories. so, 10/10 for the kids + family stuff.
-ˏˋ ✘ [𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓮 ＆ 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷] ✘ ˊˎ-
hmmmmm. . . sooo. . . i've gotta ask -
can you really love a romance when you dislike // are meh about the main characters?
i mean, you can, but for the sake of your mental health you shouldn't. personally, i started out kinda liking Bree & Eason. they seemed like intriguing characters, their personal history was interesting, and they seemed to have a real opposites attack (lol i meant attract) vibe going on.
we have Bree - the super organized well-put together lady boss ✨
which. . . i mean, sure.
and Eason - the "slacker" musician who wants nothing more than to share his music with the world. ✨
that's pure sexy right there
on paper that sounds like an interesting combination! in practice. . . meh. idk, if it's me or what, but dear lord i STRUGGLED to feel the chemistry between Eason and Bree. S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E-D. this is probably one of the few times where i thought the MCs should've stayed friends. simply put, i liked their dynamic wayyyy better as friends -
❝I’m sorry,❞ I whispered. ❝I shouldn’t have called you today, and then—❞
He tilted his head my way, his warm, brown eyes snapping to mine.
❝Yes, you should have. I’m exactly who you should have called, and I’m glad you did.❞
so when Bree started having sex dreams about Eason i was out here like -
i couldn't help but ask, since when! and also, W H Y? basically both characters were boring as individuals and they were even more boring together.
-ˏˋ ✘ [𝓽𝓱𝓮 ⋆ 𝓽𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓽] ✘ ˊˎ-
now if you guys have never read an ALY MARTINEZ romance before well, first, wth are you doing with your life, but also, you need to know that they ALWAYS have a big "plot twist." always. sometimes they work. see RECLAIM. sometimes they don't. this book is the latter.
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
LOOK AWAY, SPOILERS, HIDE YOUR INNOCENT EYES!
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
✦ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ ✦
okay so, the big plot twist here is this, Jessica (or is it Jennifer) Eason's dead wife, and Robert, Bree's dead husband, were doing the nasty on the sly for YEARS. i'm talking y-e-a-r-s. they were having sex so long that Luna - Eason's daughter - might not even be his. first off, OUCH, and second, are you fucking kidding me. here was my visceral reaction when the twist was revealed, truly, this was my face -
to say i was #NotImpressed is a GD understatement. basically, what this plot did was shit all over any angst, grief, or drama that had been taking place. to me it seemed like ALY MARTINEZ just didn't want to go there. she didn't want to add the angst of having two people fall in love with each other with such interconnected pasts. and honestly, it was a huge miss. because seriously, not even five pages later, Eason's thinking shit like this -
But at the end of the day, I’d never allowed myself to go there with Bree because she hadn’t belonged to me. She’d been Rob’s, and him being gone hadn’t changed that. But you know what did change it? Rob’s being a piece-of-shit bastard who’d crossed every line that had ever been drawn in the sand. All bets were off. Guy code or whatever the fuck you wanted to call it. It was done now.
like, ugggghhh, great, now the angst is gone! she should've just made everyone get a divorce or something. that would've been juicier. so, yeah, the twist just didn't work for me. i tried for a couple of more pages but my heart wasn't in it.
ミ✘ ɪɴ ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴ ✔彡That twist killed any enjoyment I was getting out of FROM THE EMBERS. I think it was a huge case of
it's not you, it's me. I went in with a certain expectation, and then the "big reveal" just sapped all the angst//tension//interest from the story. Personally, I still recommend FROM THE EMBERS. I think if you guys are fine with the twist or just don't care, then you'll like the book. Alas, I ended up having to put this book down. Maybe I'll finish it someday. . .
Rating: really liked it
Once again, Aly delivers an unputdownable masterpiece. Eason quickly climbed to the top of my hero list. Filled with only the kind of angst and twists that Aly ALWAYS pens so flawlessly, this book will own your heart.
Rating: really liked it
“I’m terrified that, if we keep screaming into the past,……the future is going to become nothing but an echo.”
Well. This book is ANGSTYYYYY. Once you think things are great and nothing else could possibly go wrong, BOOM, more things happen. I loved this book. If you can’t get down with people finding love after losing a loved one, or people finding love with their best friends widow/er then you may want to skip this one. This story also has an edge of mystery to it, and also cute kids, so if you like all that stuff then you may like this book. I did. Though if I’m being honest I couldn’t have gone with a bit more tension between the lead characters.
Rating: really liked it
liked this a lot more than i though i would, the plot looks like a ID case but i enjoyed it.
Safety:
- they didnt have any romantic or secret lust for each other before the fire
- they have both been celibate since the fire
- she had a good marriage
- he was struggling with his wife and has been some time since they were intimate and things were not good for quite some time, they were rarely intimate. Heroine husband faked It better so we can assume the same wasnt happening at her house and she was fine with her husband even though has been some time for them too but for different reasons, like their kids demanding attention.
The hero was pretty awesome and the heroine is pretty great too. A strong woman who is a great mother and can be a badass ceo too. He is also an amazing dad.
Their spouses were disgusting pieces of shit, but her ex husband was an better actor, they had an good marriage (he was cheating but he faked it well) while the hero was struggling and divorce was almost being discussed, they were no longer having sex and he was sleeping on the couch.
Their spouses were awful, they fucked at the heroine bed and sometimes when the hero was at the next room.
Heroine had two kids and the hero had one. 5 years old and a baby while he also had a baby a few months younger.
No sex with their spouses on page, nothing happened after the book started with them. The book started one day and the same night the fire happened.
I really like the heroine's older son, i laughed so much whenever he asked something. I loved the hero bond with him.
The book would probably be a five star ir the heroine also adopt the hero daughtef at the end and If there were the typical scene with the kids calling them mommy and daddy. I also wanted a little more bonding between the hero and heroine's younger baby. A few cute scenes showing them together without the rest of the kids would have been awesome.
I liked It a lot and i didnt feel they were second bests and the author was pretty fair during the explosion showing his guilt because he saved the heroine not his wife and the heroine anger because he survived and her husband was dead.
There was no bullshit Double standarts showing an miserable heroine with an abused husband and an happy hero. He was unhappy but trying to be the best father and husband and she was pretty happy even though their spouses were awful people, until they died there were no clues about their sordid shit. We can say he was the unhappy one.
